Articles, tips, links, resources for teachers

1. Sept 2011
Volume 5, Issue 9 Inspiring Teachers
Driving educational change through excellence in teaching
Nominations for Inspiring Teacher Awards - 2011
This is a unique platform for appreciating your school and college teachers. This year we
provide a broad framework for your nominations by defining four areas
1. Clarity and expertise in subject, organization and presentation in class, motivation and
interaction in class (exam success)
This month: 2. Interpersonal rapport with you as a student, concern and counseling outside class
Encounter with Prof (support in your personal challenges, believing in you)
Ratnalikar
3. Intellectual stimulation and motivation to go beyond syllabus (projects, applications,
Uma Garimella.….2
innovation)
Faculty of the Month-
4. Good nature and behavior towards a large section of students (role model)
Dr Preeti Bajaj ….3
A new form is online with these details on our site
Picture caption ….4
Biotech Adhyaapan – Teachers’ Mela – See last page for details
Bootcamp….....4
Maths Blog - Sanjay
Gulati …………4
Interesting links …5
Teaching English
through comic
strips…………..5
Garware Book
Reading Project-
……..……..6

2. Inspiring Teachers Page 2 of 6
An encounter with Prof Ratnalikar – Uma Garimella
He could manage to call Another interesting idea
about ten principals of proposed by him which was
engineering colleges and completely agreeing with the
polytechnics for a meeting agenda of Teacher’s
where Teacher’s Academy Academy was that of
could present the offerings. Certification or Individual
EEF has been bringing out a Accreditation of teachers.
quarterly "Journal of The programs that we are
Engineering Education" about to launch will exactly
Lokhande, Uma, Prof Ratnalikar and Brig T Ramaiah Since 1986. The 100th issue is fit the idea of EEF –
at AGPatil Institute’s Pune faciltiy for video conferencing.
due now and there were 10 however we may have to
They believe that in an special issues on various work for some kind of
educational system, the faculty themes of relevance like recognition by NITTTR or
is the key role player & any Autonomy of colleges, AICTE.
“If there are problems –
changes in the system can be Technological Universities Personally, neither Prof
it only means we have to
brought about only by the etc. Ratnalikar nor I believe that
work harder”
faculty. Hence, staff & They have also arranged recognition will enhance the
educational development must seminars, work-shops and quality of the certificate or
Prof Ratnalikar said
when some of the be given the top priority in any conferences at State and its implementation, but it
principals in the meeting quality management system. National level on various might just bring the
were citing issues with
faculty training. The management should take topics. audience for the training!!
steps to enable the faculty to Prof Ratnalikar feels that We were invited for another
…..to cater to the needs
become competent committed & forming Consortia of meeting at his home office
of the technical
professionals by providing them Engineering Colleges is the and were treated to not just
education system, some
necessary facilities. They also way going forward. a cup of coffee and dhokla,
likeminded individuals
believe that it is possible that an Cooperation is the key to but lots of love and
from both engineering
Institute can be born with "a growth. Autonomy is the first enthusiasm. His house is a
education system and
Quality Spoon in the Mouth". step in bringing quality. library with lots of books
industry have joined
It was a pleasure to meet Prof Centres of Excellence are to and articles related to
hands and formed a
NV Ratnalikar, almost in his be formed in different cities pedagogy, university system
Public Trust-
eighties, excitedly talking about and through these TQM and education.
Engineering Education
what is the need of the hour and awareness must be spread. Prof Ratnalikar can be
Foundation (EEF), Pune,
how it can be done. Many of his Total Quality does not come reached at 25457001.
dedicated to the cause of
students are holding important by accident – but it has to be Cell: 9850 800 385,
quality leading to
positions in the technical part of the design at the time nratnalikar@hotmail.com
excellence in
education departments and he of the birth of the institute. http://www.eefedu.in/webPa
Engineering Education.
quickly made some calls. And this is possible. ges/index1.html

3. Page 3 of 6 Inspiring Teachers
Faculty of the month – Dr Preeti Bajaj, Innovative Grading
Director, GHRC-Nagpur Policy
research. We have also made
evaluation of research work
(from the internet)
in such a way that post A professor stood before his
graduate students cannot do class of twenty senior
cut and paste which biology students, about to
normally all students do. We hand out the final exam. "I
Dr. Preeti R. Bajaj is the support them financially
want to say that it's been a
Director, G .H. Raisoni College also. So nurturing and
pleasure teaching you this
of Engineering, Nagpur. With a creating teachers and
semester. I know you've all
PhD in Electronics and an identifying potential
worked extremely hard and .
MBA, Dr Preeti is active both in teachers is also done at
many of you are off to Humour
academics and administration, institute level.
medical college after
steering her college to What could be a Teacher: Abraham Lincoln
exponential growth. summer. So that no one gets had a difficult childhood. He
sustainable model to
had to walk 7 miles to go to
Read her full interview at improve the teaching their GPA messed up anyone his school.
www.theprofessor.in skills of existing faculty? who would like to opt out of Student: He should have got
the final exam today will up early like others and got
but here are some excerpts.
into the school bus.
Their institute is trying to Until and unless existing receive a 'B' for the course."
develop teaching skills in their faculty undergo massive There was much rejoicing in
Entry in a child’s diary: I
PG students. learning and practice model, the class as students got up figured out what I will be
Preeti: Being director of an and get attached to some doing when I am old.
and took the offer. As the Homework.
autonomous Institute we tried knowledge partner it will be
last taker left the room, the
to incorporate many skills to very difficult to sustain this
professor looked out over
competition. Yes, first job TEACHER: An anonymous
evaluate and also to enhance the handful of remaining person is one who doesn't
teaching skills in our present they will get easily but they wish to be known.
students and asked, "Anyone
postgraduate programs. Those will not be able to retain it Student: What a stupid
else? This is your last definition!
are personality development, for long. T(angry): Who said that?
chance."
presentation skills, teaching We give personality S: An anonymous person.
One final student left. The
without any instrument/ development training to the
faculty, carry out training professor closed the door
blackboard so that he/she
need analysis (TNA) and and took attendance of those
should be able to explain the
also carry out orientation. still remaining. "I'm glad to
idea in mind without any tool.
We are carrying out special We have many knowledge see you believe in
course on teaching partners in various yourselves," he said. "You all
methodology and research disciplines for our teachers get 'A's."
methodology workshops so that which update their skill and
there is focused and systematic capacity. ---Editor

4. Inspiring Teachers Page 4 of 6
Free Biotech Boot camp
http://indigenese.com/component/content/article/80
As a part of its 5th anniversary celebrations, Indigenèse Biotechnologies (IB) announces a
one-week Biotechnology Boot Camp for Class XII and BSc students in the twin cities. The
bootcamp is being organized to introduce fundamental concepts and techniques in
molecular life sciences through immersive and hands-on activities like DNA isolation,
DNA fingerprinting, and genetic engineering. The main goal of the boot camp is to share
Picture Caption the excitement of DNA science with students aspiring to pursue scientific research in
Dolly Sandhu simple
machines help you to do modern biomedical sciences.
work... in a science lesson
Interested students should submit their applications by 10 Sept 2011 . Fifteen students
Satya Kiran: The real will be selected from the submitted applications.
teachers have never
ending work both in class
and home :) mathematicsbhilai.blogspot.com – Sanjay Gulati
Shiva Krishna Not only
class work but also The Blog
homework is mathematicsbhilai.blogspot.com is a blog on K-12 mathematics for teachers, students, and
important......!!!!
math lovers. It is a place to explore mathematics. It is my humble contribution to the body
Madhan Kumar: Your of knowledge on the internet. I am not an expert , but whatever little knowledge I have, I
Potential; Our Passion
am willing to share through my blog.
Sumathi Mohan two sides The objectives of my blog are the following:
of a coin ...we simply roll
onnnnn! to provide a conceptual explanation of K-12 mathematics topics
to Visualize various mathematics topics
Raheem Mohammed Tug
of work!!! to suggest alternative ways of teaching and learning school mathematics
to share useful and free resources on the internet
Cheparthi Durga Prasad
Teacher and student.. to promote the integration of technology in teaching mathematics
Both Carrying "Google" to provide a platform for students and math lovers to share their knowledge.
Vishnu 50:50 About myself
I am Sanjay Gulati and I work at a CBSE affiliated school in Bhilai (Chhattisgarh). I am
Sai Kumar Its time to shift
to digital content to avoid also involved in teacher training and education research. I am interested in the integration
unnecessary exercises of technology in teaching mathematics. I am a fan of GeoGebra, a free mathematics
Raj Balaka Jo Jeeta Wohi
Sikandar ;) software for teaching and learning mathematics. I am a GeoGebra learner for last 3 years,
Sounds like an AD for and I have developed lots of applets / worksheets on Middle, Secondary and Sr.Secondary
either IPAD 2 or Amazon
mathematics syllabus. Apart from learning GeoGebra, I love teaching MAT and Vedic
Kindle :)
Mathematics to NTSE students. I also write for the following blogs:
GeoGebra Applet Central- a blog dedicated to posting GeoGebra applets.
http://mathandmultimedia.com
Besides math and blogging, I am a Badminton and Cricket lover. I also love listening songs
of Kishore Kumar.

5. Page 5 of 6 Inspiring Teachers
Teaching English through Comic Strips --- Sofia Stefanidou
Interview with Sofia phrasal verb. while
through Facebook learners of English master
messaging by Inspiring a number of phrasal verbs
Teachers. and are able to
IT: Why did you choose this understand them, they
comic strip medium to teach prefer to use one word
English? verbs rather that a two
Sofia:Comics are fun, they word or three word verb,
can say what they want to that makes up a phrasal
say in minimum words and verb. I hope the blog will
they are accompanied by help students and teachers
pictures that can be easily incorporate phrasal verbs
understood. What is more, more in our speech and I
comics are the kind of stuff also hope I will find the Interesting Links – Dr PN Prasad, Dr Anil Kumar Challa
you can gladly go back to, time to add new ones
read them again and again regularly! 1. Explore for different formative assessments. Good for
from time to time, unlike IT: Do you have a team? CBSE schools
other examples of learning Sofia: I do it on my own. http://wvde.state.wv.us/teach21/ExamplesofFormativeA
that you gladly get rid of I draw the sketches and ssessment.html
when you finish a course. then write some examples. 2. Lots of useful information on the following web link
I'm glad you like them! regarding assessment
IT: Your site is amazing tools and techniques.
Phrasal verbs are actually for one person to be http://ozpk.tripod.com/assess.html
one of the most difficult doing. When did you start http://ngopost.org/story/funds-room-rent-and-musical-
aspects of learning English. it? poor-kids-pune
This is proven by the fact Sofia: I started it in 3. Interactive Teaching for English – word bags
that students avoid using March, this year, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4z6vUq5Ov0&feature=c
them. As a matter of fact, hannel_video_title
one of the factors that http://learnwithcomics.bl 4. World’s largest Montessori school in Lucknow
differentiates native ogspot.com/ http://www.jagdishgandhi.org/inspiration.html
speakers' talk from that of Sofia works at Greek 5. Now fitness in schools!
foreigners', apart from the Public School as an http://www.hertzfurniture.com/school-matters/fitting-
accent that strikes you first, English Teacher. She fitness-schools
is the minimum use of studied at Aristotle
phrasal verbs by foreigners University of Thessaloniki.
in cases that native speakers She lives in Kateríni,
would normally use a Greece

6. Garware Book Reading Project – from their site
Science is a human times a long and hard scientific journeys, and a
Teacher’s Academy enterprise, evolving over intellectual journey of larger picture of science
time under the influence of individuals, groups and itself through the
socio-cultural pressures. communities involved with researcher's eyes will be
Hyderabad This perspective is rarely the practice of science. included in this project.
exposed to students in the
sciences. Most text books Knowledge of these science The outcome of this project,
PHONE: used in schools and colleges processes has no better we hope, will:
97011 41118 are ill-equipped to provide sources to come in the • Help students to better
students an enthusiastic and public domain than books understand science
real time portrayal of written by and about the (biology).
E-MAIL: science, ideas about researchers and scientists
info@inspiring-teachers.com
• Impart knowledge of
scientific inquiry and/or the who worked (or working) on scientific enquiry,
overall process of science. the ground. power of observations
Understanding the The principal objective of and importance of
PROCESS of science plays this project is to make scientific
an important role in the students enthusiastic communication.
development of a student followers of science as a • Encourage and help
into not just a future process and philosophy. students in their quest
scientist, researcher or of science processes.
academician but also an The perspective on science,
enlightened world citizen. the reasons that guided MES Abasaheb Garware
Current science curricula individuals to their College
provide only snapshots discoveries and theories, the Karve Road, Pune
of turning point hardships and joys they
experiments and discoverie experienced during their
s, while the reality is often
See us at:
www.theprofessor.com
www.teachersacademy.co
Please send your
feedback, articles and tips
to info@theprofessor.in
You can also submit
comments and interact
on our blog
http://www.theprofessor.in/blog
Do like our Facebook
page
http://www.facebook.com/page
s/The-
Professor/203174356365130?
sk=app_4949752878